


Tell-Tale Blush (Day 1202)

by thatmasquedgirl



Series: Mind Games and Murder [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Mentalist
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Episode: s01e09 Flame Red, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon, Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon 2018, Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak friendship, One Shot, POV Oliver Queen, Prompt Fill, Slow Burn, Tommy Merlyn is Alive, Tumblr Prompt, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, mentalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:43:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmasquedgirl/pseuds/thatmasquedgirl
Summary: Felicity attempts to convince everyone of her psychic abilities.  She mostly succeeds.More mentalism by Felicity, this time with Thai food.Written for TheBookJumper's Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon 2018.  Prompt:  hidden.





	Tell-Tale Blush (Day 1202)

Tommy sticks his fork into a plate of pad thai, twirling the noodles around it as he throws another curious glance at Felicity.  Oliver fights the urge to cringe; this won’t end well.  “So, Felicity…” Tommy starts, drawing the words out, “what exactly do you _do_ here?”

When Felicity flashes that dark grin, Oliver can already feel a migraine coming on.  “It’s kind of a secret,” she leans in to whisper.  Tommy follows suit, leaning in with wide eyes as he braces himself for some hidden fact that isn’t even there.  “I can read minds.”

A scoff leaves his lips immediately, and the smile drops from Felicity’s face a moment later.  Knowing her, she’ll take it as a challenge.  “I’m serious,” Tommy replies dryly.

“So am I,” Felicity insists, while shoving a bite of dim sum into her mouth.  “I can read minds.”  She shrugs.  “It’s my gift.  I can tell what people are thinking, so I just…”  She waves her fork in the air.  “Point them out to Oliver.”  Another grin graces her lips, the one that used to accompany the times that Slade’s cell phone burst into flame.  “After I satisfy my own curiosity about the person, of course.”

“Usually there’s paperwork involved with your curiosity,” Oliver can’t help but point out, pushing around his own dish of som tum.  “And formal reprimands.”

Hands stilling, Tommy turns to look at his friend.  “Are you saying you really think she reads minds?”

Running a hand over his face Oliver admits, “It’s a close approximation to it.”  Felicity beams as he motions to her.  “She sees things we don’t—small signs of deception.  Microexpressions and behavioral science, mostly, mixed with some flash.  The rest is just guessing.”

“Guessing?” she repeats.  “Me, _guessing?_ ”  She drops her fork to put a hand to her breastbone.  “Oliver, I _never_ guess.  A good mentalist never has to.”  Felicity waves her index finger in a circle in front of his face.  “Everything I need to know is written on your face.”  She crosses her arms.  “But I don’t have to use that—I really _can_ read your mind.”

Tommy says the magic words:  “Prove it.”

The next thing Oliver knows, the table is pushed out of the way and Felicity is sitting in a chair in front of him.  “Make sure you’re paying attention, Thomas,” she calls in a sing-song voice that lets Oliver know she’s already won.  “I’m about to read Oliver’s mind.”  She turns her attention to him.  “Are you ready?”

“No,” Oliver says flatly.

Her bottom lip juts out in a pout for only a moment.  “Don’t be a stick in the mud, Oliver,” she chides.  “My reputation as a mind reader is on the line.  It disrespects all great mentalists.”  She winks.  “And don’t you want to prove Tommy wrong?”  Before Oliver can reply, she asks, “Are you feeling awake and mentally alert?”

Oliver sighs.  There’s only one way out of this now, and it’s to play along.  “Yes.”

She beams.  “Fantastic.  Okay.”  After rubbing her hands together, she starts, “I want you to imagine a screen between us, Oliver.”  Adjusting herself in her seat, Felicity draws a shape of a screen in the air.  “On this screen, I want you to imagine a shape of your choosing.”  Her head tilts to the side.  “Like… a square.”  This time, her hands wave in the air.  “But not a square.  Okay?”

Frowning, Oliver does as she asks.  “Okay.”

“Good.  Now lock it in.”  She takes a deep breath.  “Now, Oliver, I want you to project _another_ shape around the previous shape.”

“Okay,” Oliver replies after a moment.  Tommy chuckles under his breath.

When Felicity grins, he nearly rises from his seat and walks away.  “This is the fun part,” she confesses, eyes lighting up with the excitement.  “Now that you have those shapes, project that…”  She places the back of her head.  “…on the back of my mind.”  After Oliver closes his eyes, her hand goes to his face.  “No, no, no—don’t close your eyes.  Look at me.  Open up your mind and send it to me.”

After several seconds of silence, she makes a noise in the back of her throat.  “Good job.  I’m starting to feel it.”  She closes her eyes in false concentration before declaring, “It’s a triangle inside a circle.”

With a grin, Oliver declares, “No.”

“No?” she repeats.

“No,” Oliver insists.  “I was thinking of an octagon inside a rectangle.”

He expects it to ruffle her, but she only grins.  “Liar,” she declares.

Laughing, he holds his hands up.  “Fine, I lied,” he agrees.  “Yes, it was a triangle inside a circle.”

Tommy leans forward in his chair.  “Felicity, I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” he says, and he seems to mean it.  “That’s kind of amazing.”

With a snort, she replies, “That’s not much, Tommy.”  Felicity rises from her seat, starting to clear away her plate.  While he might not know all her secrets, it doesn’t escape Oliver’s notice that she isn’t eating again.  He’ll have to make her dinner.  “That’s just the calibration key.  The _real_ mind-reading starts afterward.”

Tommy leans across the table, eyes bright as he asks, “What is he thinking now?”

“I’m sitting right here,” Oliver reminds them.

Felicity ignores him.  “Oliver is thinking…”  She closes her eyes, as if really concentrating, even though they all know it’s a show.  “He’s thinking, ‘I’m glad Felicity is just making another scene and can’t really read my mind.’”

“No,” Oliver blurts immediately, but his tone is too defensive.  Felicity just grins at him, arching an eyebrow in a challenge.  “Well, yes,” he admits, “but not for the reason you’re thinking.”

When she smiles, it’s sweet, but it makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.  That’s the smile Felicity throws when she’s about to torment another unsuspecting victim.  “What reason do I think?” she asks, sitting back down in front of him.  “What are you trying to keep hidden from me?”

His mouth opens, but no words come out for several moments.  Finally, words come out.  “No,” he says flatly.  “I know what you’re doing, Felicity.  I don’t care if you use behavioral science to show off, but I’m not playing your mind games.”  He starts to rise to his feet.

Tommy’s words stop him:  “You’re blushing.”

Felicity’s hands are on Oliver’s shoulders instantly, pushing him back into his chair.  She cups his face with both hands, thumbs rubbing the apples of his cheeks.  “You _are_ blushing!” she crows.  The smile that crosses her face this time is softer and more sincere—not at all like the ones she usually flashes.  “And here I thought you were incapable.  That’s kind of adorable.”

Gently, Oliver pries her hands from his face and rises to his feet.  When he starts to walk away, she catches his arm.  “Hey, I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Felicity assures him in a gentle voice.  After glancing to Tommy, she leans in to whisper, “I don’t really read minds.  Your thoughts are perfectly safe in your head.”

Turning slightly, she pauses to pat Oliver’s cheek.  “But there’s nothing to be ashamed of, Oliver.  Whatever thoughts you had about me…” She offers him a soft smile.  “I’m sure I’ve had similar thoughts about you from time to time.” With that, she winks and walks away, leaving him to stare after her.

Tommy releases a low whistle.  “She may not be able to _really_ read minds,” he says slowly, “but Felicity has your number, my friend.”


End file.
